ImaginaryFriend's INTERPRETATION of Delta9nxs' PASSIVE PLANT KILLERS

[ImaginaryFriend]

oo... had the thought on the heat gun. Looked for it for an eternity, failed. Determined to move forward, I went shopping and spent money on the tape. As soon as I returned home, I tripped over it just as soon as I walked through the door.

I'll be plumbing up a couple of sub reservoirs tonight to up pot my clones to vegging PPKS (unless I am overwhelmed by uselessness), and might try the vinyl 3/8 ID again with the heat gun fired up.

EDIT: Heat gun worked so well to soften the smaller ID material, I'm redoing everything. Again.

OBSERVATION: If you are dumb enough to use vinyl rather than whatever was initially recommended by D9, and use a heat gun, use the smallest amount of heat required at the end of the tube to start the threading. Excess heat encourages the tube to expand, and it does not appear to return to it's original shape.

Strangely,

Simple stuff in comparison to what's going on here

Funny how incompetence and lack-luster effort can turn simple stuff into a straight-up-shit-show. Should be so damn simple. And yet...

 

[Strangely]

You're being too harsh on yourself mate, looks pretty damn good from where I'm sitting!

You're probably just being a perfectionist which can be both good and bad I suppose.

From a personal point of view I can only improve on my first effort, which included... snapping the main stem clean off, pouring still warm molasses mixture into rez, rotting cloth wicks, vegging for WAY too long meaning a ridiculous amount of crispy leaves / training going on... and yet there's still some bud to keep the moral up for next time!

So every cloud and all that!!

 

[ImaginaryFriend]

I'm just moving kinda slow, and not really on top of things like I'd tell myself I ought to be if I was helping me out.

But it's moving forward.

For the record: media wicks simplify the system dynamics...

My pulse is finally pushing the minimum volumes I'm looking for.

The base reservoirs finally have control and interlinkingness.

I'm just a couple months behind.

Oh well.

Thanks for checking in and seeing the 'best' in me.

 

[Strangely]

Haha!

I'll be happy if my static rez with updated media wicks doesn't stink more than the weed that's growing in it. Small victories eh!

 

[ImaginaryFriend]

She looks lonely in there. I'm sure she'll have company soon.

Hooray for company. The girl on the right is six days in, the girl on the left... well, I'm starting to think that my timer fuck up set her back... she's been in there for twenty two days but is acting more like twelve. Oh well.

Lady behind:

First Pic:

Today:

Bushier girl:

I know this is International Canagraphic. I know I should have better light and composition. At the very least, I should hold the camera level.

Sorry for not being very canagraphic.

 

[ImaginaryFriend]

MEMO TO SELF: All little ones are up-potted, plumbed and pulsed.

---

If my view has changed and the isolation of the sub-reservoirs is no longer desirable, then I think I should have plumbed my system differently.

The ID of the 1/4 inch irrigation hose is something like .16". When my pulse kicks on, my control bucket drains, but this doesn't create an adequate pressure imbalance to recirculate the sub solutions in any kind of meaningful way. I think I might have been served better by plumbing my sub reservoirs with 1/2" ID pipe [actually 1/2" OD, as per oo's observations] so that they flood back to control significantly faster than the float valve refreshes the control bucket.

Hummmmm....

But maybe that same slowness stabilizes the system to a degree as well...

 

[huntingbb]

MEMO TO SELF: All little ones are up-potted, plumbed and pulsed.

---

If my view has changed and the isolation of the sub-reservoirs is no longer desirable, then I think I should have plumbed my system differently.

The ID of the 1/4 inch irrigation hose is something like .16". When my pulse kicks on, my control bucket drains, but this doesn't create an adequate pressure imbalance to recirculate the sub solutions in any kind of meaningful way. I think I might have been served better by plumbing my sub reservoirs with 1/2" ID pipe so that they flood back to control significantly faster than the float valve refreshes the control bucket.

Hummmmm....

But maybe that same slowness stabilizes the system to a degree as well...

Huh, I was wondering about that... OK, then ill go with the dwc tut for the current flow section if i try that.... I'm doing passive non-linked reservoirs - hopefully its not a big mistake

 

[ImaginaryFriend]

OK, then ill go with the dwc tut for the current flow section if i try that

I don't think you can go wrong with that idea.

I have adjusted my float valve and pulse timing, and I'm getting a nice equilibrium now... it just takes some time for the levels to find ballance.

But my float valve is pretty adjustable, and I have a nice cycle timer, so it's pretty easy to get it dialed. If I didn't have such spendy parts (from hydro days) in the system, it might be more of a hassle. I expect that I'll have to monitor and adjust levels it a bit as the weather changes, and for the fact that I'm not properly in cycle right now... (four in 18-6 rather than four under 12-12). But so far, once I figured out what was going on, it's been pretty easy.

All that said, I probably could have just as easily done it out of 1/2" grommets and fittings that I already had available and things might have adjusted faster and had fewer plumbing challenges.

I like the tire valves for sure, but am more then willing to go back to 1/2" hose, as long as it ain't that NGW crap!

 

[oldone]

good evening my ImaginaryFriend,

Glad to hear that the heat gun worked for you. You guys should think about using barbed fittings as I bet they're more secure than tire valves.

Strangely was right, dont be so hard on yourself. The girls look terrific just dont fuck it up. LOL

BTW, 1/4" tubing refers to its ID so it sounds like you're using 3/16. My tubing is 3/8 x 1/4 clear vinyl.

later,
OO

 

[ImaginaryFriend]

BTW, 1/4" tubing refers to its ID so it sounds like you're using 3/16. My tubing is 3/8 x 1/4 clear vinyl.

Ahhh... the crap I'm using is called 1/4" for the barbed fittings and accessories that are compatible with it, but is actually .16-.17" ID (funny that they go from fractions to decimals on their own packaging, but who am I to judge?).

As for the barbed fittings, I'm not really sure why I didn't just run 1/2" throughout. Maybe I was just infatuated with the little tire valves, and not thinking clearly. Not to mention that every time I've deviated from D9's plans, I usually regret it. Even in this case, it took more energy than it should have, but it seems to have worked out okay.

As for being hard on myself, after finishing the transplants, getting the pulse hooked up, setting up my EC monitor and running more moderate ECs, and actually following the stupid boring rules, the girls look so awesome that I'm just bummed about not getting it done sooner. Not to mention that I'm a full harvest cycle behind, had I gotten it done in a timely fashion.

Some stuff I was looking at as N deficiency might have been N lockout, and now that I'm actually plugged in and watching, things have really cleaned themselves up.

If things were good before, they're awesome right now. New growth is a deep green with no signs of burn at all.

I still need to improve my air exchange in the veg area, and improve air circulation in both. And I'm sure, when I get that done, I'll be kicking myself for not getting it done faster.

The first girl into the larger space has started to begin to start to flower. The second girl in the mix is bushy and wonderful. I've been extremely aggressive in stripping the third girl (still under 18-6) of both inner stem structure and shade leaves. She's still got ten days to fill out and recover before she moves rooms.

The little transplants are exploding in the pulsed PPKs. Again, makes me pissed at myself for taking so long, but happy about how they look.

Thanks for dropping in OO and saying something... we need to come up with something that isn't so damn boring to talk about...

 

[oldone]

we need to come up with something that isn't so damn boring to talk about...

You got that right.

I'm here every day but struggle with posting because there is just nothing to say.

I'll get a new post up in my thread today just for something to do.

see ya,
OO

 

[ImaginaryFriend]

I'm here every day but struggle with posting because there is just nothing to say.

Alright, let's be critical here.

We have a system that works. Even with months of neglect following from medical hardship.

If the pulse pump fails (the only real 'moving' part), the sub-reservoir will sustain life.

If the bulk res runs out of juice or the float valve clogs, the media will add an additional time buffer.

But is our system optimized for growth?

How do we know?

We need data.

So I say to you oo, what kind of monitoring system are we going to build to collect this data so that we can establish a base line?

Here are some basic thoughts:

-Continual monitoring of mass.
-Continual monitoring of classic environmental conditions, i.e. temp, RH, CO2.
-Continual tracking of EC and pH in both base and bulk reservoirs.
-Measuring of volume of outward solution flow as a means of measuring solution uptake.

The development of some automated system that does it all.

Plotting these data points against themselves.

Look for trends.

Modify environmental conditions.

Assess changes.

Look for new trends.

I have a list of pieces, parts, programs that should do all of this. I'm missing the programming end.

Something to do, or what?

Time for a new hushmail account?

 

[oldone]

So I say to you oo, what kind of monitoring system are we going to build to collect this data so that we can establish a base line?

Cool, a new project!

It'll be a micro pc linux box that publishes its data to a secured local website. All this I know how to do. Its the sensors that are the hard part.

I could go on and on but what do you think so far?
OO

 

[the_baked_chef]

just how bored are you two

One thinks it would be like paradise... having an effortless and endless supply of fresh marihuana with "only" little insects and stuff to worry about.
Why would you want to optimize a system that works for you.
"Never change a winning team"
at least thats my motto.
Well that and: "What would Jamie do?"
I tell you what Jamie would to. He would lean back, cook some fine high quality low fat vegetarian meal for school children and all
but he would definitly not want to engage in statistics

come on.... cuddle your cat or something.

Go for mediocrity.
There's utter beauty in mediocrity.
I've seen it. It was like a little heaven - inside

and also outside - but who cares about the outside. Thats for Geeks and chi omega guys...

or was it greeks...

ah screw it - i'm bored too - but i better stop spaming your thread i will definitly depend on your help when i setup my PPK Growtent...

in a related manner. If you really collect that data and need someone to do the math and arrange it and stuff, i would volunteer. It's what i learned anyway so i could also do some serious math with hard numbers related to my hobby (or obsession or how it is called...)

 

[ImaginaryFriend]

but i better stop spaming your thread i will definitly depend on your help when i setup my PPK Growtent...

... making vague references about obscure things is about all I've contributed to the community... if even that.

Greek up the thread. God knows that might make something interesting happen, if not useful...

 

[ImaginaryFriend]

Temps and humidity are relatively high in 18-6. Impressed with the canopy and growth. My numbers are closer to the ol' Krusty environmental numbers in this space. (Okay. That's a fukcing lie. I have no damn idea what the actual numbers are. Just warmish and damp.)

Temps and humility are pretty low in 12-12 (air exchange is higher).

I believe this is really holding development back and stalling the plants

But I don't think I'll fix it.

Or rather, I don't know an efficient solution, as I've come pretty close to maxing out my dedicated circuits wattage...

Hummmm... smaller fan... campfires... I have some other ideas, but they're pricey. Too pricey? Maybe. But possibly fun.

 

[oldone]

I have no damn idea what the actual numbers are. Just warmish and damp.

Okay...I'm going out on a limb here and point you to a relatively old technology and suggest you acquire a thermometer and hygrometer. These devices would be a tad more accurate than "warmish and damp".

Seriously dude I bet the girls are fine and you're just bored. Anyway I'm off to the chop!

OO

 

[ImaginaryFriend]

re: Chop! Hooray!

re: hygrometer/thermometer... I have one. Or two. Or three. Of those things. I'm just not sure where I left them.

re: stupid me...

I woke up to an involuntary 200 gallon flush of the system.

Last night, I think: Oh... everything seems right? I'll adjust my float valve an inch or two and go to sleep.

Oops.

That's a bad idea. Bad like having your feed pump in your control reservoir. So when you adjust your float valve, it hits a silly little hose, and doesn't close and and boom! Flood city.


re: Questioning the need of the electronic devices...

Wait? Since when was warm and damp not scientific?

Um... I hooked up my 12-12 vent/air scrubber/air exchanger to a thermostatic control (It was just sitting in a huge puddle this morning, and I said, "Oh... that might help). I think the low temps are really holding the girls back, so I'm going to give up some fresh air in exchange for some temp improvements.

Band-aid.

With other problems possibly attached to it.

So it's more like a not-so sterile Band-aid.

You know, like a used Band-aid.

Gross.

Oh well.

 

[ImaginaryFriend]

I'm a huge fan of Dead Head Fred.

He insists that the first thing to get environmental conditions under control. Then dial in feed schedules. And then worry about the other shit.

I know he's right.

I'm just too damn lazy.

You should call me Lazyman, but that's already taken. By a clever man with lots of ambition. Just not fair. My name, used in irony.

So... I had a timer issue. I knew about that, and am willing to accept that it set me back a bit. I learned things, blah, blah, blah.

I flooded a bunch of shit. But I always do that. Even in systems that are only floodable through retardation. I have plenty of that. Retardation, I mean.

Every fucking grow, I have to keep learning new things. I've always battled keeping temps down. So I've learned to apply basic fluid dynamics (that's an exaggeration--I just didn't make my ducting look like a pretzel), and made a clean(er) system for air exchange this time. And it was too good and I kept my temps too low.

It was easy to overlook, because I didn't hang a damn thermometer in the room, and I was cold too. I knew the temps were down but nothing was dead, so: what the fuck, right?

My first girl is so far behind where she should be compared to the photos in this journal. Like two weeks. Easily.

The day I added thermostatic control to the vent fan, she started to put out trichs. I'm not saying that there's a direct correlation--she might have been there maturity wise--but that's what happened.

Anyway, the garden is all nice and hot and sweaty. Still didn't buy new meters, and haven't found the old, but the gardens are nice and hot and sweaty and things look good.

So now, I need to start thinking about new airflow through odor control if my vent fan is not going to always be running...

(I love writing about how negligent I am. Suddenly, I become my own coach. And after giving myself a hard time for a few days, I end up dealing with it. That's why I should keep updating regularly... so I don't let things slide. You know, like ordering Jacks after fourty or fifty days of talking about it.)

 

[ImaginaryFriend]

Keep stripping the interior of the second plant in 12-12... hoping to manage airflow this way, and focus growth into the effective light penetration of the canopy.

Keep stripping the next girl on deck's interior too. She seems pretty happy throwing ridiculously lateral laterals. My 'goal' before moving her was to encourage 14-18 inches out of her vertically in twenty days, and it looks like I got about ten. But I don't really know her stretch in this environment. She is mad bushy... as wide as she is tall. So... That'll be interesting to watch.

I'm trying to think of a way to try 36 hours of darkness to get her hormones all stacked up (a la med-man's promise that'll speed up flower by a week). I could possibly put her in isolation for a day and a half, then move her to flower.

But I might just move her, take lots of pics on her progress and height/stretch. Then try it on the next girl into 12-12 (identical clone) and see if I can make any meaningful comparisons.

She's supposed to move to 12-12 in three days. Look forward to that, the 18-6 room is silly-crowded. Damn PPKs and warm jungle dampness. Make's plants grow like prehistoric monsters.

Or not.

It's not like I have any idea about whats going on.

So maybe I should find my thermo/hygrometer. Or bite the bullet and go spend a couple bucks on a few. And then I'd have a least that much of an idea of what is going on.